With ha meaning "sun" and tha meaning
"moon," Hatha Yoga is commonly translated as the yoga that brings
union "of the pairs of opposites." Sometimes Hatha Yoga is also
translated as the "forcefull yoga", because it requires a lot of
physical effort. Hatha Yoga is certainly the yoga that is the best known in the
West, which is part of the reason why so many definitions of Hatha Yoga exist.
In most Indian
languages, in common
usage, the word
“hatha” means being
adamant. This is the quality that you will need. Your body says,
“Enough, I had it.” But you are adamant. This
is Hatha Yoga. Your mind says, “I give up, I can’t do
this anymore.” But you are
adamant, you simply
do it. We
want to take
the physical form
beyond its present levels
of limitations. In
a way, Hatha
Yoga means you
want to make
your comfort zone universal.
Just to confuse things more, some studios throw something
called hatha flow into the mix. Wait, didn't I just say that hatha wasn't flow?
Well, since the term is so open, it can be used to mean almost any kind of
asana class. What some call hatha flow, I would call vinyasa. However, some places
take the confusion one step further by offering both hatha flow and vinyasa. In
this case, expect the vinyasa to be a little more vigorous, but so much depends
upon the approach of each individual teacher that it's impossible to be
definitive on this point without taking specific classes. If you need more
clarification, ask at the studio or gym where the classes are taught.
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